The invention relates to a printing method for providing disc-shaped information carriers with printed label information in the form of graphics and/or characters, printing being effected on at least a part of the surface area of at least one side of the information carrier.
Disc-shaped information carriers are generally provided with label information, for example, relating to the information content of the information carrier. In general, the label information comprises both characters and graphics. In the case of optically readable disc-shaped information carriers, for example Compact Discs, the label information is provided on one side of the information carrier in a broad annular area which is concentric with the center hole. In prior-art methods this label information is applied by a screen-printing or a tampon printing process. For both processes, it is necessary to produce a film and subsequently a printing block, which takes time and is expensive. Moreover, the known printing methods are not flexible. In the case of a high production rate, a rapid change-over to print different label information on different information carriers is not possible. It is substantially impossible to provide each information carrier with an individual identification.